Tag Archives: Colour Critical Displays

Need a new monitor? Desperate for an accurate display? EIZO’s ColorEdge range are recognised as the top choices for a huge array of professional applications, from photography, design and print, to video and post-production. But with three separate series on offer, how do you know which is right for you?

Across all the ColorEdge CG, CX and CS lines, there are certain features that are common to all three, making them all great at delivering consistent, predictable and accurate colour, no matter what your level. These features include 10-bit simultaneous colour display, 16-bit LUT, support for hardware calibration, brightness and colour uniformity with DUE technology, and a gamma curve which has been individually adjusted at the EIZO factory. They all also feature a fantastic non-glare IPS panel for more accurate and comfortable working.

Essentially though, you could break the three ranges down into ‘good’, ‘better’ and best’ – the CS series are great for entry level use, the CX displays are more for professional work, and the CG series for very top-end, colour accurate work. Find out more about each below…

The CG series

Go for this if: you need the ultimate in colour accuracy, as well as additional features like a built-in calibrator and hood included.

Whether you work in photography, design or video production, the CG series really is the cream of the displays crop. Its colour accuracy makes it ideal for critical photographers and retouchers, as well as designers and architects who need the best colour and texture representation. As the image quality in the CG series surpasses Grade 1 standards, it’s a strong choice for those in broadcast, and it’s become the monitor of choice for top post-production houses too. It’s even perfect for commercial print use as an accurate soft proofing monitor, displaying the Fogra colour space and other print standards.

Key features of the CG series include 99% Adobe RGB colour space coverage, and a 3D LUT for smooth colour mixing and neutral greys. There are also several preset colour modes you can switch between including REC709, EBU and SMPTE. The CG series also comes with a range of extras like the built-in pop-up calibrator, which eliminates the need for third party calibration hardware, bundled shading hood and ColorNavigator software, and a five year warranty with 12 month pixel defect warranty.

The CX series

Go for this if: you need a high level of colour accuracy, but not necessarily the precision or extra features you get in the CG series.

The CX series is a good shout for photographers and anyone working in design and imaging. They can reproduce 99% of the Adobe RGB colour space, and come with a built-in correction sensor that automatically maintains white point and brightness values. CX displays will also handle architectural simulations, and can even be used for on-set preview, post-production and in broadcast, although the lack of 3D LUT means you’re slightly more limited when it comes to really accurate work.

Other notable features of the CX series include EIZO’s ColorNavigator software bundled in for simple, precise calibration, and a five year warranty for peace of mind.

The CS series

There are quite a few differences between the CS240 and CS230, so it’s worth looking at each in turn…

Go for the CS240 if: you need an entry-level colour-accurate monitor that can display the majority of Adobe RGB colour space.

The CS240 can reproduce 99% of Adobe RGB, which makes it ideal for serious amateurs or professional photographers who need to balance accuracy with budget. It’s also a strong display for non-critical evaluation in post-production, as well as editing and previewing for on-set video work and broadcast, checking print marketing and the like. The CS240 also comes with ColorNavigator software included, and a five year warranty.

Go for the CS230 if: you need an entry-level, colour-accurate monitor, but only need to work in the sRGB colour space.

The CS230 is similar to the CS240, although without the Adobe RGB coverage. That means it’s more suited for entry-level application where you only need to rely on the sRGB colour space. Having said that, it still gives good colour accuracy, so will be ideal for amateur photographers and home users, as well as less critical reviewing of simulations in design and architecture programs, and some video editing, on-set previewing and broadcast.

Unlike the CS240, the CS230 also comes with a built-in self-correction sensor to maintain white point and brightness values.

It’s official – Sony have replaced their PVM-2541A and PVM-1741A monitors with the new PVM-A170 and PVM-A250.

As well as being easier to spell, the A170 and A250 are 40% thinner and lighter than previous generations of PVM monitor, and boast the industry’s best viewing angle – a whopping 89 degrees.

The Sony PVM-A170

The smaller of the two monitors, the 17″ PVM-A170 weighs just 4.2 kilos and is far slimmer than its predecessor, so while we don’t recommend that you carry it about, you could do if you needed to. Sony have been quick to point out that their new slimline design is perfect for on-set setups where space is at a premium, or for large ‘monitor wall’ configurations. If you’re worried about carrying it round, you can buy a protection kit that includes AR-coated protection glass and corner bumpers.

It’s got two 3G-SDI I/O ports, one HDMI port and a composite connection, and waveforms, vector scopes and audio level metres are all present and correct – you can even zoom from 0 to 20 IRE – all which supports Sony’s point that this is ideal for on-set monitoring. There are plenty of other useful features too, with colour edges to help camera focus operation, time code display, safety area markers, serial and parallel remote and an eight channel level meter display.

The Sony PVM-A250

The larger of the two monitors, the Sony PVM-A250 still manages to be 40% lighter and slimmer than its predecessor, weighing in at just 6.1 kilos. As with its counterpart, there is the option to add AR toughened glass and corner protection to keep your PVM-A250 in one piece. Those charming feet you see in the picture fold if you want to mount your PAM-V250, and there’s also a handle if you want to move it between locations, or use it for some impromptu weightlifting.

The PVM-A250 boasts all the scopes, waveform monitors, focus features and meters that the smaller model does, and continues to use Sony’s OLED and TrimasterEL technology to deliver high colour accuracy and consistency at a far lower price point than its competitors. There’s support for multiple input formats, including 480i, 720p, 1080i, and 1080p at frame rates between 23.98 and 60 fps.